


Dusk and Dawn

by Thurinsen



Category: Epithet Erased (Cartoon)
Genre: Multi, Non-Binary OC, Other, and so does percy, i call it peaceful au, its just peaceful, some of my own epithets are here, tea time, there is some combat coming up, zora can grow, zora is soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-18 21:35:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22000216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thurinsen/pseuds/Thurinsen
Summary: Zora Salazar has found her soulmate Alex and they travel through Sweet Jazz City and its neighborhood, living the life she always wanted, a mixture of the thrill of hunting and the soft warmth of a partner she could trust.
Relationships: Ramsey Murdoch & Percival "Percy" King, Zora Salazar & Molly Blyndeff, Zora Salazar/OC
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Starry, Starry Night

**Author's Note:**

> Quick heads up: Alex is an OC of mine in Sweet Jazz City. They are non-binary, panromantic and asexual. I haven’t seen episode 7 yet, so I may have gotten some stuff wrong regarding Zora’s epithet. Also, I am not good at replicating speech patterns, so Zora might sound a little bit different from the show. This is also the first time I have written anything even closely resembling romance, so I’ll see how that turns out in the end.

**Inside.**

„So it’s the woods again?”, Alex asked with a slight sigh.

“Yup, I gotta keep watch over someone.” Zora stood up, fixing her poncho and retrieved her guns from the small kitchen table in Alex’s apartment. Even though the apartment was small, it felt cozier than most other rooms she had seen. Zora figured it was probably because of Alex.

“Well, I’ll get the tent. When are we going?”

“As soon as you’re ready, honey. But don’t take too long, the trail is still hot and fresh. I wouldn’t wanna lose it. Bad business.”

Alex got up from their chair and started searching a cupboard in the living room. This room was bigger than the kitchen, but it didn’t feel that way, because it was crammed with cupboards, a couch and two armchairs around a coffee table that wasn’t quite high enough, and a small bed on the floor that smelled faintly of wood and dirt.

With an exclamation of success, Alex retrieved a camouflaged tent from the cupboard.

“I just have to get my backpack and make a quick run to the store. Can I get you something? Or is the forest going to provide everything you need?” Alex started putting their shoes, as Zora sneaked a quick kiss on their cheeks.

“A soda would be great. Can’t find everything there. Although it got worse. Some things just aren’t worth finding.” Zora let herself fall into one of the armchairs and took out a set of brushes and cleaning rods and began cleaning “The Sun Up”.

Alex straightened their back and fished for their keys, unlocking the door and walked down the stairwell.

“What a beautiful date-mate I have,” Zora said to herself.

 _It's kinda haunting how well we match up. We just fit together like dawn and dusk. I would miss them terribly, were we ever to split up._ Zora shook her head.

 _Don’t even think about that. There’s no good coming from thoughts like these._ Zora got up from the armchair and took “The Sun Down” to one of the small desks in one of the corners of the room. The desk housed an imposing structure of racks and drawers with cables spilling out everywhere, most of them running through a hole carved into the bottom of the door to Alex’s study. She opened one of the drawers, revealing a small, pressurized cleaning chamber, where she put the revolver and started the cleaning process.

 _I don’t even know what I would do without their equipment. My pistols were never in this good of a shape, except when I got them the first time._ The faint beeping from the cleaning chamber signaled that her pistol was ready. She took it out, marveling how clean it was now. All the grime from her last job has gotten off. With just a little bit of polish, this one could probably blind someone.

Zora sat down again and moved on to cleaning the barrel from the inside, removing the loose gunpowder. She could see the setting sun over Sweet Jazz City through the window.

 _Like dawn and dusk._ In her mind Alex was clearly dawn, bringing sunshine and radiance into her life. That made her dusk, which she was fine with.

 _Kinda fitting, actually. I am used to endings. Many careers have ended after crossing my path. I just wish Alex would come to a job with me, not just staying behind. It would make things a lot easier for me._ The irony in that was, of course, that her name meant dawn. She always thought that her name made her a whole, but after meeting Alex she knew what it truly meant to feel whole.

**On the street.**

The shadows of the apartment buildings were already creeping up on the other buildings, leaving the streets in shadow. The store was just around the corner, and the crisp evening air filled Alex’s lungs. They were excited to camp out with Zora again, brimming with anticipation.

 _Finally a weekend again. I can finally spend some more time with her,_ they thought, turning around the corner. Alex stopped. In front of them on the sidewalk was a group of children playing. Alex noticed one of the kids standing to the side clutching what seemed to be a broken toy airplane. The other kids had similar ones. Alex knelt down to the girl.

“What happened to your airplane?”

“It broke. I dropped it, and now the wing is off.” She was visibly sad but didn’t cry.

“Don’t worry about that. Look, I’ll fix it!” Alex touched the broken toy, and warm, orange veins started pulling the pieces together, Restoring the airplane to its previous form. The girl’s face lit up with joy upon seeing her Restored airplane.

“Wow, thank you so, so much! Did you use your epithet for this?”

Alex nodded and the girl jumped in excitement, holding the airplane so that nothing would happen to it.

“What is it? What’s your epithet?”

“Identity. It can Restore something to the form it was meant to be. Your airplane was meant to be whole, so I made it whole again. It’s not always obvious to what it will Restore things. Some unexpected things can happen from time to time.” Alex smiled, and waved the girl goodbye, as she joined her friends again.

 _Identity. That’s what it boils down to. It makes things the way they see themselves. Whatever that is sometimes._ Their thoughts wandered back to when they tried to use it on a human for the first time. Their sister had broken a leg after a bike accident. Alex rushed to her in despair and intuitively used their epithet. The tendrils enveloped the leg and Restored it to its former strength.

But when Alex used it on a beggar near the desert, whose leg had been broken for years, nothing happened. First, they were confused. How could this happen? Were had their power gone? Over time they figured out what happened there. The old man had long accepted the broken leg and had started seeing it as a part of himself, as a part of his identity.

The most fascinating part about their epithet was its interaction with Zora’s epithet, Sundial. She could change the flow of time in some things, but only of a process that is still going on. She can’t undo the damage on a broken object, because once it is broken, the process of breaking has stopped.

But Alex could. The identity of these things didn’t change immediately. Over time something starts to accept what it is, but not fast. Identity is like some form of platonic ideal, everything strived to be its perfect form. Alex could enable that.

Identity is powerful and useful in the right situation, but in their mundane life, it rarely mattered. Yes, it could Restore a broke vase, but a lot of things are meant to be what they already are. If they write down a wrong number, or a make a typo, for example, those were things they could not Restore. Their action had already changed the paper's identity. How could the paper know that this was not meant to be this way? The paper simply accepted the choices made for it, altering its identity accordingly.

**Inside.**

“I’m back! I got your soda!” Alex rustled in through the door, dropping two bags on the floor. They started unpacking, putting some things into the freezer, and some into an oversized hiking backpack.

“Hey, Alex.” Zora leaned over the armchair, and her hair cascaded downwards.

“Hm?”

“Did you read the weather forecast?”

“Depends. For Sweet Jazz City? Only today. For other places, I haven’t read it at all. Why?” Alex came through the kitchen door into the living room, leaning on the door frame.

“We’re going to Simplicity Creek. There is a clearing right in the forest, with a small hill. Do you get it?” She looked to Alex, waiting for her eyes to light up. She could feel the serene warmth within her when she saw exactly that, Alex’s eyes widening, and gleaming with anticipation.

“Oh, oh, oh! I’ll check right now!” Alex reached into their pocket, pulling out their phone, but before they could look at the forecast, Zora spoke again:

“I already did. It’s looking a-okay. It’s going to be a great night, I think!” She returned to the bundle of things in front of her, weighing the importance of each item that she would carry with her on this trip.

“I’ll get the telescope. You’re driving?” The last part came out of their study, as Alex rushed into the room, retrieving the different pieces of their telescope.

“Sure am.” Zora tied the bundle close and swung it around her shoulder.

**Simplicity Creek.**

When the two arrived at the small town of Simplicity, they unloaded their baggage, which was mostly Alex’s baggage, as Zora traveled light as ever. The autumn had taken its toll on the surrounding forest, turning the leaves into a warm and serene arrangement of reds and oranges. The faint evening breeze whirled up some leaves as they danced slowly to the ground in the last light of the day.

Zora stood arm in arm with Alex as they both took in the moment, quietly enjoying the colorful beauty of this city. At last, Zora pulled out of the semi-hug and closed the car doors.

“So where are we heading exactly?” Alex said, looking around, trying to find some sort of path into the forest.

“Just along there, up the river and to the clearing. It’s a 20-minute hike from here.” Zora pointed her finger directly into the twilight engulfing the forest.

“I should have expected that.” Alex shrugged, gathering her backpack and the telescopes case.

“Here, I can take the mount. It’s no biggie.” Zora took the second backpack with most of the telescope assembly in it. Her tall stature made her appear spindly, but that was not the case, as she lifted the backpack up, carrying it loosely on her shoulder.

The hike through the forest was pleasant, if a bit hilly, at least for Alex. Zora took the trip without problems. When they arrived at the clearing the sun had completely set, and the sky slowly turned dark, leaving the forest silent.

Zora laid down into the grass, breathing slowly, and felt happy.

 _This is how I always want it to be. I am here, with Alex, under a clear sky, out in the wild nature. This is the life I want to live in._ She could feel the grass under her, dry and pleasant from the warm days past. A part of her wanted to stay here for longer than the weekend, but she had to drive Alex back to Sweet Jazz City on Monday. But that meant there were two full days in front of her, days which she would relish.

Alex, in the meantime, started erecting the tent just at the verge of the clearing. They tried to make it look tidy, but the tent had its own mind on how to be. Zora sneaked behind Alex, hugging them and kissing them on the neck.

“Do you need some help over there?”, Zora whispered into Alex’s ear. Alex turned around, embracing Zora as well. She tenderly lifted them up, resulting in a mutual kiss.

For Zora, this moment felt like eternity. An endless sea of warmth and happiness. After releasing Alex and setting them down again, they both started working on the tent, until it looked tidy and well-constructed.

“You know, Percy would probably be proud of us right now if she could see our architectural masterpiece here.”, Zora proclaimed with soft laughter. She turned back to the clearing, looking at the sky, where the first stars came to life, revealing their beauty to the world.

Alex had already begun working on the telescope, setting the mount at the center of the clearing.

“I’ll be right back, honey, I just have to check on my job for a bit. It’d be unfortunate if those guys wouldn’t be here anymore.” Zora turned around, leaving into the woods. Her poncho made her nearly invisible in the falling twilight, and soon the sound of crackling leaves faded away, leaving Alex alone in the clearing.

Zora’s scarf protected her against the crisp evening air as she moved silently towards the cottage. Just beyond the hill, she could see the faint yellow light coming from its windows. She took out her binoculars and started looking, whether she could identify some of the inhabitants. She knew who was an Inscribed, but whether those were here at the moment, she didn’t know. So it was time for watching.

 _I wish I could just go there and deal with it_ , Zora thought to herself, _It would make things quicker. But I shouldn’t blow my cover yet. Wouldn’t want to alert the higher-ups._ She knelt down, slouching to the ground so that just her head was above the small hill.

There would be three epithet users in the cottage. They formed a remarkable combo, that had protected them multiple times. There was Lightless, which could turn of any light, resulting in an almost unpierceable darkness, but it could also make things dull. Metal lost its shimmer, wood became rough, and most things started eroding. Needless to say, this ability was good at escaping. But only if there was someone who could still find a way.

That was the job of Vision. It could look through the eyes of other people around the user, but only mundies. More important, however, was its ability to see an alternate version of the world. Without training, this ability overwhelms the user more often than not, but after repeated practice, you start to get used to the strange visions, and you can gain information out of them. This proved to be a loophole around the darkness created by Lightless.

While these two epithets were extremely good at escaping, their third partner had an offensive epithet. Discographer. It could create small disks and launch them in any direction, and could also be redirected. From launching them at enemies to blocking incoming attacks using a well-placed disk, this Inscribed had an incredibly high proficiency with his epithet.

So it came down to the right moment when to strike. As soon as either Lightless or Vision were out of the cottage, Zora could strike without fearing that they would escape again. It wasn’t the first time she went up against them. In a direct battle, she would win easily, but their ability to distract their opponents and escape made it hard to get a hold of them.

Zora could see five people through the window, and both Lightless and Vision were there.

 _So that’s that, I guess. They won’t be leaving this night, at least if they are any smart. So I’ll have to try again tomorrow. Someone’s gotta leave sometime._ She sighed and put away her binocular. For a moment she thought about using Sundial, but shook her head. This was not the time for that. Only in an emergency. Or if someone started playing unfair.

When Zora returned to the clearing, she noticed that the telescope was all set up and running. She slowly approached Alex, who already had it pointed at a distant star.

“It’s so beautiful.”, Zora lightly said, looking through the telescope.

“The star?”

“Yeah, but you especially.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are. You made it through the first chapter. The next chapter will continue the "forest arc", if you will, and is going to focus heavily on Zora as she hunts her targets.


	2. Showtime Showdown

Alex yawned as they curled themselves out of their blanket. The sun had already come up, and brandished the forest with a warm light, slowly dispelling the night’s cold. Zora was already up on the hill, playing on a small flute.

“How’d you sleep? Any good dreams?” Zora turned towards Alex, smiling slightly.

“I slept just fine. What about you?” They put on a jacket and walked up the hill to Zora.

“I slept like a leave in the wind.”

“Now what’s that supposed to mean?” Alex sat beside Zora, laying their head in her lap.

“Ready to change course at any time. Gotta be careful ‘round here, less some Inscribed turn up and try mess with you.”

“Did you eat breakfast already?” Alex turned around and mustered the small bag besides Zora.

“I found some mushrooms, got some herbs. No huntin’ though, not yet at least.” She looked at her pistols. “These bad boys have another duty today.”

“So you’re trying to get it done today?”

“I gotta be tryin’. Wouldn’t wanna miss out on any second with you. But a job is a job.” Zora gingerly moved Alex’s head away and stood up. “I’ll be going then. See ya!”

In fact, Zora had already scouted the forest this morning and made sure there were no unpleasant surprises or reinforcements coming. She had tracked this group for long enough for this to fail again.

The area around the cottage had become busier, with a pick-up truck parked near the door. Two Banzai Blasters were moving crates into the cottage, and Discographer watched.

 _Now, where’s the other two? If he’s alone this’ll be a cakewalk. Let’s get a better look at this situation._ Without the cover of night concealing her, she started creeping along the premises, looking out for the other two Inscribed.

 _There’s Lightless. He’s pretty useless without his comrade._ Zora went nearer, hiding behind a broad tree. This way, she could eavesdrop on the group.

“Can’t you make them work faster? I don’t want anybody seeing our little operation here. Who knows who’s out there. What if _she_ is here already?”. Lightless' high-pitched voice was instantly recognizable.

“Just wait, okay. It’s going to be alright. Remo is only away for a short time, he’s getting the reinforcements. You’re always so scared when he isn’t around. You’ve got to get some confidence, man!” Zora could just make out Discographer’s quiet voice.

 _So Othersight isn’t here then. Now’s the time to strike for good._ Zora cracked her knuckles in anticipation. It would be a good fight. A fair fight. Only minimal use of her epithet. Just the way she liked it.

“Howdy, Lightless! I see your quite busy movin’ those crates, ain’t you? Sure looks heavy to me. Do you need a helping hand on that? “ Zora walked out of her hiding spot and straight forward to the cottage. Lightless immediately shrieked and instinctively turned on his epithet. A sphere of complete darkness enveloped him, obscuring her sight on the cottage.

“Shoot, man, she’s here! Get down!” Lightless shriek alerted the other Banzai Blasters, who drew their pea-shooters and pointed them at Zora.

“No need to escalate this little situation of ours, eh? I’m just looking for a fair fight.” Zora laughed.

Discographer initiated the fight by summoning three disks that immediately launched towards Zora. She ducked away, with only on disk nearly hitting her. He redirected the disks back towards Zora, but with quick use of her epithet she stopped them in their path, hovering silently behind her.

Lightless dispelled his darkness and jumped towards the cottage and through an open window. From there he obscured Zora’s sight by putting a wall of darkness between her and Discographer.

“Why isn’t Remo here! Just when we need the damn fool he’s not here.” Lightless complained from within the building.

Zora stepped to the side as she heard more discs hurling in her direction. They impacted right behind her in a tree, and vanished, leaving behind three big cuts in the bark.

“Not bad, but we should improve your aiming a bit!” shouted Zora, “ ’cause you completely missed me!” Zora shot three times in Discographer’s direction but stopped the bullets right in the darkness.

Zora heard the clang of a metal door and the trucks' engines roared to life.

“You can’t just leave me here! I can’t defend myself!”, but Lightless cries went unheard, as the truck started driving down the forest path.

“Not so fast, I wasn’t done with you yet!” Zora ran through the darkness, aiming at the truck's wheels, bursting three of them with three well-places shots, grinding the truck to a halt. She could see how some of the underlings scattered into the woods, desperately running away from her.

 _That’s fair enough, I guess. Just makes it more fun collecting them afterward._ Zora dashed up to the car, shooting at the doors hinges to block Discographer from leaving, then jumped on the back.

She pointed her pistol at Discographer just as he tried to scramble out of the back window. As he saw her boots standing in front of her, he started writhing through the window, desperately trying to get away.

“Come on, buddy. You gotta know when things ain’t looking so peachy anymore.” She crouched down and held him at his collar.

“Just tell me where the damn thing is, and I might even set you free. For now. I can always come back.” Her voice turned threatening, sending shivers down Discographer’s spine

“I don’t know nothing, Zora, I swear. I’m just delivering things here, I’m not part of this anymore.” He tried to free himself but gave up after she put her gun right on his face.

“And I am supposed to just believe you? Nice try, buckaroo. But you can’t fool me.” Zora got annoyed. This reluctance wasn’t part of her plan on dealing with these idiots.

“Ugh, fine. If you aren’t willing to talk I’ve got other means to make you spill. So think about that until I get back to you.” She jumped down from the car and walked into the open cottage door. Inside, Lightless crawled towards a hatch in the floor, trying to unlock it. Zora shot the lock, breaking it open.

“Thanks, I reall… Oh no! No, no, no, please, don’t turn me into a baby, please, I’ll tell you anything. Just please, don’t do it!” Lightless clutched Zora’s boots, whimpering.

“Now this is an attitude I like! Now, where’s the blaster? Where have you kept that thing? Down there maybe?” Zora shook him loose and opened the trapdoor, revealing a ladder leading down into a tunnel.

“Oh my, what a nice construction you have here. So, spill now.” With a swift kick, Zora made Lightless sit up and she crouched down to him.

“Where. Is. The. Eraser. Gun? Where did you hide it?” Zora got uncomfortably close to Lightless’s face.

“Don’t tell her, Steve, don’t tell her!” Discographer shouted from the outside, still huffing and trying to free himself from the window.

“It’s down there, ma’am. Just please don’t hurt me. Please…” Lightless grew ever smaller, as he tried to escape from Zora.

“Don’t worry, at the moment I’m done with you! I gotta get myself the payload, or my boss ain’t got no money for me.” Zora stood up and turned towards the tunnel.

“Bye-bye!”

Zora jumped down into the dimly lit tunnel, whirling up dust and dirt. The surprisingly dry path was stabilized by wooden and metal struts, securing the ceiling. In semi-regular distances were faint lamps, spending what little light they could.

 _Ugh, this is going to be a hell of a trip. Why am I always the one to get these dirt trips?_ Zora shook her head. _No backing out now. Someone’s gotta do it._

She continued down the tunnel, passing crates and boxes full of digging supplies, ammunition and pea-shooters. The tunnel gradually sloped down and to the left. The tunnel took on more shape the further she went, and finally, she emerged into a small room.

The floor was made out of loose metal sheets, that clanged she stepped on them. There were two doors leaving the room, a crooked looking wooden door, that almost fell out of its hinges, and a secure metal door with a small control panel on the side.

 _Now if this isn’t obvious. They could at least tried to conceal their vault._ She shot at the metal door, but her bullet just bounced away, leaving no mark behind. After a quick inspection of the doors closing mechanism, she decided to try her epithet, but the door resisted any corrosion.

 _Oh come on! Just open!_ Zora took out her gun, ready to shoot the panel, but hesitated. The door should have corroded, but apparently the air was to dry. She put her hand in her bag, and took out the soda Alex had bought her the day before, and chugged it at the door. With the slight acid on the door, she could now accelerate the process, leaving the door brittle and rusted.

 _What a shame for the soda. I looked forward to drinking that. Damn._ With a quick shot, the rusty door broke open, revealing a metal-walled path deeper into the complex. Zora walked along the tunnel, into a large storage cavern full of stolen goods. A group of Banzai Blasters were moving the crates around, but came to a sudden stop when they saw Zora.

“Good mornin’, folks! I’m here to get me a little gun of yours. I hope you don’t mind?” Zora jumped down the railing into the room and drew her pistols.

“So be nice now and just leave the room, will you?” The Blasters, still in shock, started assembling in the center of the room, posing wildly.

“Never! You cannot beat the combined powers of six Banzai-Blasters! Prepare to be ANNIHILATED!”

The Blasters started running towards Zora, drawing their weapons and attacking wildly, but Zora jumped into the air, accelerated by her epithet, and shot three times, knocking most weapons out of their wielder's hands and landed behind them.

One of the Blasters spun around and shot at her, missing barely but hitting her hat. The bullet easily punched through the fabric and left a smoking hole.

“You ruined my hat! Now you got me angry!” Zora charged at her opponents, crushing into one of them and holding the overwhelmed Blaster in front of her.

“See, I don’t wanna search this place all by myself, you know. If you’re any smart, you’d drop your weapons and help me finish my job. But, you’re just some low Banzai Blasters, so I shouldn’t be expecting too much from you.”

“Hey! That’s not fair! I’m not a Banzai Blaster, I’m a Banzai Captain!” One of the Blasters, a lanky girl with wild red hair now stood in front of the rest.

“Do you not know who I am? I’m Mila Merryweather! The legendary Banzai Captain who bested the great attack on the Rurig safehouse!” The Captain walked up to Zora, taking out her knife and fenced it menacingly.

“So?” Zora shot the knife out of Mila’s hand.

“Agh! What do you mean, ‘So’? Who are you even, that you’re here anyway?” She turned around to pick up her knife, but Zora shot it out of her reach.

“Could you stop that? I just want to get my knife back!” Mila scrambled towards it.

“No.” Zora shot the knife again.

“Oh my god, fine! What do you want anyway?” Mila turned back to Zora, frustration clearly in her face.

“Now we’re talkin’.” Zora let loose of the Blaster. “I want that eraser gun you stole from the Fieldings Lab the other day, and a little bird told me, I might find it here. So, where is it?” Zora put her guns back and looked around the room, scanning the situation.

 _No problems right now. And as soon as those idiots start moving those crates, I’ll be out of here in no time._ She laughed to herself. The Blasters started searching the crates, and after six minutes they found the box in question. A steel box with heavy locks closing its lit shut. On the top was the logo of the Fieldings Lab.

“Jackpot! Now gives this to me, and you’ll never see me again. At least not in the next 24 hours. Bye!” Zora jumped up to the door, walking through the tunnel, whistling to herself. She entered the metal-plated room and found to her surprise that someone was waiting for her.

“Now if this ain’t Rufus Roughian. What a surprise. Did they break you out prison again?”

“Shut up, Zora. Just give me the damn box. We both don’t want to do this.” Rufus extended his hand towards her.

“Maybe you don’t. But I’m always lookin’ for a fine fight and you just happen to be the challenge I search! And I get to turn you in again! Ain’t that some fun!” A fist out of metal erupted right in front of Zora, as the metal sheets bent in position.

Rufus epithet was Fist, and he could masterly create fists out of nearly any object and could hit an opponent out of a remarkable distance. But these threats were nothing for Zora. She had fought him multiple times already, so this wouldn’t be any different.

She jumped to the side, shooting at Rufus, who blocked her shots with a metal fist from the bottom. She knew, that when he had metal to work with, he probably could hold out against her for long enough until some form of reinforcement could arrive.

 _I have to get him into the tunnel. He can’t dodge my bullets there, and his fist are going to be made out of wood._ This was one of the weaknesses of Fist: The proportions of the fist were set, and the actual size of the fist was therefore dependent on the size of the foundation out of which the fist could erupt. Since the Pillars in the tunnel were no way big enough to form a proper fist for fighting, he had to use dirt.

Zora ducked out of the way of another fist, dashing to the tunnel, but Rufus caught her ruse and blocked the tunnel of with two fists.

“Look, Zora, that’s one of your weaknesses. You always try to have a fair fight. Luckily, I do not have such hesitations!” He formed a group of fists around Zora, so that she was captured between them.

What Rufus didn’t calculate in was that Zora wanted a fair duel, but they had different ideas of what a fair duel was. She put on her epithet, accelerating the ceiling above Rufus, thus collapsing it. As soon as Rufus was knocked out, the fists vanished.

“You see, Rufus, that’s one of your weaknesses. You always fall for the same trick twice.” With that, Zora turned around to the tunnel and escaped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter had a heavy focus on Zora hunting the eraser-gun. The next chapter will be more peaceful and will detail Zora and Alex's relationship with other characters more.


	3. Tea for Molly

Alex concentrated on her epithet and the fabric of Zora’s hat started to form itself again, Restoring itself to its Identity. The threads interweaved and built a seamless patch.

“Here, it’s all done and good to go. Anything else that needs some fixing?” Alex gave the hat back to Zora, who smiled dearly.

“No, I think that would be all. So, what are we going to do now? I’ve got a whole weekend to spare now.” She rested her head on Alex’s shoulder.

“I got a text from Giovanni. He wants to surprise Molly with a tea party. Or, how he called it, a tea ambush.”

“He would call it that, wouldn’t he. Well, that sounds lovely. When is this ambush going to take place?” Zora sat down on the grass and the soft breeze curled her hair in faint waves. She took out her flute, eyeing it, waiting for Alex to answer.

“At four today, if I’m not mistaken. He organized a whole group to come: There’s Sylvie, Percy, Ramsey and even some of his Blasters. I think it’s going to be fun.” Alex put their phone away, looking at Zora.

“Then let’s get this stuff back in the car. We got places to be today!” Zora started taking down the tent, storing it safely in its bag. The two made their way back to Simplicity. They hadn’t had much time to look at it the day before, but the quaint town slowly came to life. The small store had just opened its door, and the first customers started rolling in. The sheriff, a spindly woman with short, black hair walked around the town square, greeting her fellow citizens as she walked by.

“Look, there is a pottery shop around the corner. Maybe we can find a nice tea set for Molly.” Alex excitedly pointed towards a small sign reading ‘Aunt Granny’s Pottery, Lottery, and Laundery’.

“That rhyme is quite a stretch, if you ask me, Alex. But we can have a quick look inside.” Zora walked behind Alex to the shop.

A bell announced their entrance and the old lady behind the counter looked up at Alex and Zora.

“Ah, customers! What can Aunt Granny do for you? Do you need some pottery, the jackpot or some clean clothes? We also have the Granny-Bundle. Ten percent off if you take all three!” The woman laughed.

“Just some pottery, Miss…” Alex threw a questioning look at her.

“Just Granny is fine, dear. So, pottery you say. Well, let’s get a good look at what I have here.” Granny walked around the counter towards a row of wooden cabinets full of plates, vases, and cups. There were even some murals and statuettes tucked inside.

“Do you have a tea set? I wanted to get one for a friend of mine.” Alex looked up and down the cabinets, searching for matching sets. Most of the pottery were of wildly different colors, resulting in a spectacle of rainbows.

“A tea set, eh? Let’s see…” Granny took out a green teapot and placed it aside. After rustling through some more cabinets she found five matching cups and took them to counter.

“That would be 20 dollars, dear.” Granny packaged the set in some paper.

“Here you go.” Alex handed her the money. “Thank you and have a nice day!” They and Zora walked out of the shop.

“Have a nice day too! Thank you for doing business!” Granny said back.

“Back to Sweet Jazz City then? Zora asked. She had bought a small vase in the shop, with a painted sun on it.

“Yup! Nothing holding us back now.” Alex stored the set safely in their bag.

**The Blyndeff Toy Emporium.**

Molly had to work. Again. Her father and her sister once again weren’t the ones to work on the front side of the business. She sighed and waited for customers.

 _Isn’t that Car Crash’s car?_ Molly looked out of the window on the street, where the red pick-up truck with its many blemishes parked, just on the other side of the road.

 _What is he doing here? I just hope that…_ But all hope came to late. The car slowly started sliding backward, steering clearly in the direction of a hydrant. She could see Car Crash running up to the car as it crashed into the fixture, sending water flying and flooding the street.

“No… Not again. Why does this always happen.” He slumped down.

“FRED! I was away for 2 minutes! How does this happen to you every time! Do you think this is some kind of joke? What is this? The seventh time this month?” Giovanni came out of a store and ran up to Fred. He wore, surprisingly, not his new super-villain outfit, but his normal, more casual clothes.

 _Should I go out and say hello? But what if customers come in then? There would be no one to greet them! Oh no…_ Molly debated internally. She noticed that other cars started arriving too, Percy’s police vehicle, with Ramsey and Sylvie in the backseat, as well as Zora’s small, red car.

 _What is going on? Why is everyone here?_ Molly just didn’t understand. Only as the group started walking towards the store did she realize what was happening.

 _Are they… Are they visiting me? But I have nothing prepared! No tea, no pastries, nothing! Oh no…_ Molly scrambled through the shop, trying to find her tea set and pulling out chairs, but the door already rang and they all came in.

“THIS IS AN AMBUSH! EVERYBODY READY TO SErve some tea. Hi Molly! I have masterfully prepared and executed an undercover maneuver, which I call the Totally unExpected Ambush-Ambush. Or TEA-Ambush for short.” Giovanni smiled and tried to pose, but tripped over the carpet and almost fell face-first into the ground.

“That is a terrible name.” Percy’s voice came from the back, and the group slowly trickled into the room. Chairs and tables were fetched quickly and all found a seat. Everybody chattered, catching up with each other.

Zora sat to the back of the room. She still wasn’t used to so many people around her and although she had talked with everyone here and considered them her friends, she still felt uneasy. Alex was talking with Percy and Giovanni as Ramsey came up to her.

“Uh, hey there Zora. Long time no see, huh? So, how’s that hunting of yours going?” Ramsey scratched the back of his head and looked nervous at her.

“It’s been fine! I got myself three new prisoners, this mornin’.” Zora tried to conceal her discomfort but sounded over the top. She leaned against the wall. Alex came up to her and sat down beside, looking at her and Ramsey.

“You sound kinda stressed, you know? What is it?” Ramsey’s voice showed his genuine concern.

“It- It’s just a lot. I’m not used to- to this.” She gestured towards the tea-drinking ambushers.

“I’ve been a lone wanderer ever since I started bounty huntin’, I’m just not used to having so many people around me.” She looked down at the floor. Alex put their hand around her shoulder, squeezing her towards them.

“Well, you’re not going to get used to it by sitting to the side and never talking to them. If you want to change how you feel about this, how you are going to handle this, then you have to take the steps yourself.” He looked around the room, focusing on Molly. The ambushee had just started talking to Percy and Sylvie.

“You could start with Molly, I’m sure she would be-“ Ramsey couldn’t continue since Giovanni’s voice drowned his speech out.

“So tea is just some hot flavored water, right? And I can make broth, okay? And that’s also just hot, flavored water! Then why can’t I make tea with my epithet? Where’s the difference? I think this is not fair at all!” He jumped on one of the tiny toy-store tables, trying to hold his balance.

“I’ll show you all! Look!” He concentrated on an empty cup in front of him. He bit his lip and started sweating, as a single drop of golden-brown liquid formed in the cup.

“HA-HA! Here! I told you! It’s tea!” He scooped the drop out of the cup and tasted it.

“Blagh! That’s not tea at all! What the hell is that?” He jumped down from the table and gingerly put his cup away before falling into the next hist of rage, but Molly silenced him.

“Thank you, Molly. A valiant effort to restore the integrity of this gathering.” Percy nodded towards Molly. Giovanni gestured wildly inside of the bubble, but suddenly stopped and looked around him. As soon as he noticed nobody could hear him he stepped out of the bubble.

“I’m sorry about that. I just got annoyed at the stupid limitations of this epithet.”

“So you think tea is soup? Is that the hill you want to die on?” Zora stood up, facing Giovanni.

“Uh, yes. I think tea should be soup. I mean, of course! Tea is clearly soup. No one of sound mind would think different!” Zora laughed as Giovanni tried to explain his stance on this matter, and returned to Ramsey and Alex.

“You know, maybe this isn’t so bad at all. It’s definitely funny. I think I could get used to this.”

Zora managed to join the ongoing conversations and slowly started to feel more and more at ease. Her previous tension abated and was replace by warmth and laughter. She especially enjoyed talking to Molly, since her open-hearted nature quickly endeared Zora.

In the meantime, Percy and Ramsey sat at their table, talking silently to each other.

“You still don’t like her, do you?” Ramsey looked at Percy, waiting for her answer. She shot a quick glance at Zora, then turned back to Ramsey.

“I don’t know right now. It’s- It’s been difficult at first. I just cannot look over the fact, that she is a member of a dangerous group, even if she is currently hunting Banzai Blasters. She has become more of a vigilante in the last time, but I still have some mixed feelings. You should know what I mean, since you once were her target.” Percy sat straight in her chair.

“I got over that pretty quickly. Also, what about me? I was in prison, but you don’t seem to mind that, do you?” Ramsey leaned back and took a sip out of his cup.

“Hm, you’re right. Maybe I do have an unfounded bias against her. I think I should talk to her a bit.” Percy stood up and turned towards Zora’s table.

“Just one thing, Percy: Don’t be so stiff. Your cop is showing.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Percy walked over to Zora, sitting down in an unoccupied chair. Molly looked at her, smiling.

“Hi Percy! Do you want some more tea?” She took a teapot and handed it Percy.

“No, thank you. I have had my share of tea already.” Percy tried to relax but found it hard to let her stiff nature drop.

“At least look at this tea set! Zora and Alex bought it for me!” Molly presented the green tea set, and carefully poured Zora another cup of tea.

“That is indeed quite nice, Molly.” Percy looked at Zora, who had put her hat down in front of her and sipped on the fresh tea. She noticed Percy looking at her, and put her cup down.

“Now, Miss Officer, what do you want? I hope you won’t try arrestin’ me.” Zora laughed and threw her hair back.

“No, you don’t have to worry about that. Indeed I am here to congratulate you.”

“What? Who are you and what did you do to Percy?” Zora put her head back and looked suspiciously at Percy before breaking out in laughter.

“Why would you congratulate me? Have I accidentally done somethin’ legal? I sure hope not!” Zora looked at Percy now, waiting.

“Not legal, I’m afraid, but a service to society nonetheless. You have managed to locate a group of Banzai Blasters we were trying to get to for three weeks.” Percy nodded to Zora.

“Oh those let-downs. Yeah, it was quite fun. A good ol’ hunt is just the best thing to wake up to in the mornin’.”

“Spit, Percy. What do you want.”

“There is something that I kept coming back to ever since Redwood Run. You said that you wanted to get rid of epithets entirely. I presume that is why you started working with Bliss Ocean. I cannot look over the fact that your employers are one of the most dangerous criminal formations in Sweet Jazz City-“

“If you want to go on this rant, write me a text. At least that way I can ignore it.”

“Just this: You have hunted dangerous, criminal epithet users. Your actions have helped to make our society more secure. I couldn’t help but notice that you have pivoted your targets towards criminals.”

 _Dang it. She’s right. Why is she always right?_ Zora had indeed tried to hunt down criminals. Percy had played fair, but Zora had cheated. Zora, who always talked about fair play had ignored her own rules. To redeem herself for this, Zora had started hunting Banzai Blasters and various other criminals.

“I guess you’re right, Percy. As always.” Zora’s voice grew quiet. She looked down on her cup, watching the swirling patterns of steam coming from the tea. Percy put a hand on her shoulder.

“Many officers have come to appreciate what you have done in the last months. Think about that.” There was hardly anything else Zora could think about at this point. She had always prided herself with her defiance of the law, but her reputation as complete outlaw had faded into something resembling a vigilante, at least in the ranks of the police. Zora stood up from her chair.

“I will think about that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have finally seen episode 7, so I feel comfortable writing again. I wanted to establish some of Zora's relationships around the other characters for this chapter. I have slightly toned down the hatred between Zora, Ramsey and Percy, especially how Zora sees Ramsey. We will see more of Alex again in the next chapter.


	4. Soap Opera Supreme

Restoring was difficult. Not the process of Restoring, but thinking about the possible consequences. Whenever Alex was using her epithet, Identity, she had to think about the possible outcomes. Most of the time, this was no problem. Restoring things that didn’t live was actually rather easy, because of how predictable it was. A broken vase will almost always be Restored to its not broken form.

The usefulness of Identity was not only determined by the past. Only because something was once a way it is no more doesn’t mean that that is its Identity. A person that never felt they were supposed to be who they are might be changed drastically, and Restoring them could change them in unpredictable ways.

They learned about that when they Restored themselves for the first time. For a long time, Alex felt that they were not the way they were supposed to be. There was always something that felt wrong. And when they tried to Restore a clumsy wound while preparing a meal, they felt a sudden and unexpected change. To the observer, the change was rather subtle. Their chest flattened, their face gained more contour, and they got a bit slimmer. Not a lot, but just the right amount to make Alex content with themselves.

These are the dangers and boons of Identity. Proficiency helped to contain changes that were too extreme, and how to stop the process of Restoring. That way, Alex noticed that the Restoration took an unexpected turn, they could stop it.

It all changed when Alex met Zora. Sundial and Identity were a surprising match. Since Restoring is a process with a fixed beginning and end, Zora could undo possible damages, providing safety should something go wrong. And the other way around was also helpful: Zora could not fix an already broken object, but for Alex that was easy. Together they had a great amount of control about everything that happened in their lives.

The evening was Alex’s favorite time of the day. When the sun slowly settles and the bustling day comes to a close is the perfect time for warmth and relaxation. The serene quiet that slowly blankets the city helps them calm down. And on especially mild evenings they go to the terrace on the roof of the building and sit there.

And the evening was mild. Soft pink and orange clouds drifted across the sky, lit by the vanishing sun. The streetlights slowly sprang to life, like little stars, illuminating the city below. Alex had brought a cup of tea and a small blanket. They took a sip out of the cup and gazed into the sunset.

Only the quiet clack of the doors lock announced Zora as she joined Alex on the roof.

“It is so beautiful from up here. I never see it like this on the streets.” Alex turned their head around, towards Zora, who had walked up to them by now. She sat down next to Alex and leaned her head on their shoulder.

“There is no evening more beautiful than an evening I can spend with you.” Alex sneaked a quick kiss in, and Zora blushed from the sudden compliment she received.

“That is so cheesy. Wow. If we continue like this we’re going to be one of those couples on tv.” Zora brushed through Alex’s hair.

“Would that be a problem?” Alex turned towards Zora and pulled her hand out of the hair, closing in and squeezing softly.

“No. It wouldn’t. Because it’s you. I would do anything with you.” Zora sat still for a moment and then burst in laughter.

“And cut! Perfect scene. Now, everyone check their script again and we can continue shooting. This is going to be a good day for the show.” They laughed together and sat in the growing twilight for some moments when Alex broke the quiet.

“Do you want to go on a walk? We could go to the park a few streets away.” Alex looked up at Zora.

“I would love to.”

**Blue Skies Park.**

The winding paths led around the central lake and lampposts styled like gaslights shone a warm, yellow light into the trees.

By the time Alex and Zora arrived the night had fallen and the mild evening air started turning cold. They walked along the paths, coming up to a group of benches at the shore.

“When will you be away the next time?” Alex looked down to the grass, her elbows on her knees. They turned their head upwards and looked at the still lake.

“I gotta get a call from the boss first. I don’t have anything to do right now. Even so, my dear colleagues do most of the dirty work nowadays, and I’ve been on reserve for now. Probably ‘cause I got a bit picky with my targets.

“Ever since Redwood Run Percy got me thinking about that kinda stuff, you know? Not only did I lose, I lost by cheatin’ above all. That’s just no good feelin’. She was right. She won the epithet free battle.

“Oh well, whatever. That’s the past. But still… I think I’m trying to impress her. To show that I can follow the rules if I want. And she noticed. She came to me at Molly’s Party and told me so.” Zora sighed, then shook her head. She leaned back, into the bench and crossed her arms behind her head.

“I think Percy would appreciate if you were a bit more open about this, Zora. Percy has a good heart. And when she notices that you have a good heart as well you’ll get along. I mean, look at Ramsey. He went to prison, yes, but with Percy’s help, he worked himself out in no time. It wouldn’t be different with you.” Alex put their arm around Zora.

“I guess not. It’s just… I don’t know. No one really aligns with my goals anymore. Bliss Ocean just hunts down inscribed, no matter who they are, or what they have done. And the police just goes after the criminals they can get. All the low ones, nobody who really matters.

“I’ve been living between those things for the last time. I just can’t make up my mind about the whole situation. I still love huntin’ and I love the thrill, and Bliss Ocean pays a small fortune for my work, but every time I get an innocent target, who just so happens to have an epithet or some information, I get this sting.

“One on hand I think the world would be better without epithets at all. The fact that there’s more inscribed now than ever isn’t particularly helping. At least I think the boss noticed. I mostly get jobs to hunt down criminals, and I even get to turn them in.” Zora stood up and walked around the bench, behind Alex. She rested her head on theirs and sighed.

“It’s getting colder than I thought.” Alex put their hands on Zora’s and they could feel how icy her fingers were. “Maybe we should get back inside.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” Zora took a step back, but just as she wanted to turn, her phone rang. The faint jingle of the ringtone filled her surroundings. She immediately recognized who was calling.

“Zora here, what’s up? Got a new job for me?” Despite Zora’s concerns she had expressed earlier, she sounded eager. Alex couldn’t hear what they talked about, only that Zora nodded and gave short affirmations.

“Okay, I’ll get on it. Bye!” Zora hung up.

“A new job, then?”

“Yup. I gotta get on it right now, though. The boss thinks he might be escaping already. I’ll try to be back soon, honey. Love you!” Zora dashed into the trees, launching herself skywards.

**The Terran Foundation.**

The Terran Foundation prided itself with spending large amounts of money for the public good. As it turns out, most of that money never reaches the city officials or any charity for that matter. Instead, it goes into the private hands of the executives. The efficiency of their process made them perfect money launderers.

There was only one mistake they made: They tried to make a fool out of Bliss Ocean. The job was to get a considerable sum of money from one of Bliss Oceans agencies cleaned and then send it overseas.

When the money was due, nearly nothing arrived, and the foundation became a prime target of the Bliss Ocean Officers. The plan looked like this: While others would dismantle the organization, Zora would hunt down the responsibles, first and foremost the Founder, Hector Billwig.

Zora dashed through the night, from rooftop to rooftop, the streets blurring away under her. She had taken her cape off so that it wouldn’t inhibit her in the air.

The Foundation had its headquarters in a sleek office building, towering above the skyline of Sweet Jazz City. Zora landed on a balcony near the top of the building. By then, her boss had sent her blueprints of the building, and where to find entrances and exits, should the need arise.

As for any of Zora’s targets, Hector Billwig had an Epithet. Fitting for his job as a money launderer, his Epithet was Soap. Many of his more daring escapes from the long arm of the law could be attributed to his proficiency in this Epithet. By summoning soapy water he could grease the floor, making any pursuit into a wet sled race. He could squeeze himself out of any problematic situation, either through his Epithet, or his charisma.

Zora opened on of the balcony doors, stepping into an elegant office with more space than would be necessary. Her steps left earthy patches on the white carpet floor. The only place she would never enter with her shoes on was Alex’s apartment.

She quickly checked the map of the building, but then decided that there was no fun in knowing where to go. She would just eyeball it and discover the building herself.

The glass door to Billwig’s office stood slightly ajar. From within, Zora could hear nervous talking. Apparently he was phoning someone, but his agitated voice made him hard to understand.

“I don’t know who or what ticked them off! This is terrible! My whole operation is breaking down.” His high-pitched voice echoed through the walkways.

_Exactly as I expected. The others are already at work. Now I just have to finish him off._ Zora grinned and stepped into the office. There was a small waiting room with two tables and an array of chairs grouped around them, all in the same style of design. She walked to the door at the other end of the room, almost sad that she had no more dirt on her shoes and that she had to leave the carpet as pristine as it is.

Halfway through the room, Zora stopped. Billwig was still talking, but Zora noticed what he was talking about. In fact, it wasn’t the other Bliss Ocean Officers who were after him, but rather…

“The cops. It’s always the cops. Whenever I reel in a big one, they always have to step in and ruin the fun. Not only that but this time they are onto the foundation. I could always rely on our proxies, but this time it’s serious. At least Bliss Ocean didn’t notice our little incursion. If they were onto us as well, we could count ourselves unemployed.”

Zora was confused. This sudden change in the situation made her re-evaluate her plan. She had wanted to saunter in, scare him a bit, and then take him right to the boss. But with the police running around the perimeter, this would prove to be difficult. On top of that, he didn’t even realize that Bliss Ocean was already on his heels.

“I’ll call you again when I made my escape.” Zora could hear the exasperated sigh from the inside. While Billwig started to evacuate his office, hiding the paperwork or similar, she sat into one of the chairs in the waiting room.

_This is going to be quite a surprise for him. I can’t wait to see his face when he comes out._ Zora made herself comfortable, with her legs on one armrest, and her torso leaning against the other. She took her guns out and started juggling out of boredom.

Just before she would have decided to burst into the office anyway, Billwig came out. He had three giant bags full of paperwork with him, walking backward out of the door and closing it with his foot.

“Hiya, Billwig! I thought you’d never come out of that hole of yours. I was startin’ to get worried you had some sort of escape tunnel. Glad to see you leave like a normal person.” Zora readied one of her pistols.

Billwig dropped his bags as he squeaked. He whirled around and found Zora sitting on the chair.

“Oh no. No, no, no. This is NOT happening. WHY!?” In a matter of seconds, his voice reached a pitch most opera singers would be jealous of. His eyes darted from wall to wall. Zora could almost see the moment when he decided to escape.

He threw himself backwards into the office, soaping the carpet floor to hinder Zora. He turned around and vanished into a giant wall of foam, blocking all sight.

But Zora was ready. She quickly turned on her epithet, aging the bubbles to pop them, revealing Billwig struggling to get into one of the air ducts to the side of the office. He had these always unlocked to ensure a quick escape.

He looked back, saw Zora dashing towards him and vanished into the air duct. When Zora caught up she could see the soapy tunnels. He had greased the inside so that he could freely glide down the shaft.

_Well. Seems like I’m going to get clean. What a shame._ Zora threw herself into the tunnel.

The metal panels blurred beside her as she slit down the angled duct. Navigating this infrastructural maze would already be difficult if she wasn’t sliding at breakneck speed. Nudging herself left and right, she tried to keep up with her bounty. She didn’t want to accelerate her fall, fearing that she would miss the turns Billwig took.

After a long straight pipe, Zora was suddenly out of the confined ducts. She fell freely for a short time, stopping her fall right before she would have hit the ground. She was in a fan chamber that powered the air ducts. The circular room had many pipes exiting it, and she could clearly identify the path Billwig used.

Due to the virtue of the room being a hub for many air ducts, Zora could hear voices from every direction. One voice stood out in particular: Detective Percival King.

“I want this entire building searched. If it is true what our contacts say, then Hector Billwig is behind all of this chicanery. I want him here as soon as possible.”

_Well, this has taken an interesting turn. Let’s see who gets him first._ Zora dashed into the pipe, sliding down the soapy descent. This part of the network had fewer turns, so Zora could finally accelerate herself in order to catch up.

After a particularly sharp turn, Zora could finally see Billwig as he braced himself for impact against a vent. She realized too late what was happening and couldn’t stop his fall in time, as he crashed through the vent into the room underneath. By then she had managed to stop him mid-air and went through the opening herself.

“Ah, Billwig, you didn’t really think you could escape me, now could you? You oughta know, I get all my bounties in time.” Zora landed gracefully on the floor.

“Let me go, let me go, let me GO! It wasn’t, I didn’t mean to! Please this is all just a great misunderstanding! I can explain it all, I just have to get to my paperwork!” Billwig vigorously pleaded for his freedom, but Zora had enough of it.

“Shut up.” Zora shot him straight in the face.

“AAAAH! That hurts!”

“It’s supposed to. Now, I think we both know what’s happening now, do you?”

“Oh, I think I know exactly what is happening here.” Percy’s voice struck both of them as she entered the room.

“I heard gunshots and screaming, so I thought I should investigate this rabble, and I have found exactly who I am searching for. Great job Zora, I knew you would realize your great potential in our ranks. Now please, un-freeze him, so we can put some eraser cuffs on him.” Percy stepped forward, out of the door and beside Zora, who awkwardly looked between Percy and Billwig.

“Yeah… right. I was… just about to do that, Percy? Great… timing, I guess?” Zora’s confusion knew no bounds at that moment. Everything just toppled over her, burying her in a metaphoric avalanche.

“Great! The Sweet Jazz City Police Department is grateful for your service to the citizenship. Do not worry, you will be compensated for your excellent work today.” Percy took out a pair of cuffs and walked up to Billwig.

“What? Wait, what is happening here? Salazar? I thought you were after me because of…” His eyes darted between Percy and Zora, finally halting on Percy. She strode to Billwig, readying the cuffs.

“Could you please un-freeze him now, so that we can take care of him.”, Percy said, then turned towards Billwig. “And you will get a nice home in jail. Your days as a money launderer and general nuisance are counted, Hector Billwig.”

Zora summoned a sundial and let Billwig fall the last bit. A moment later and he was in cuffs. Two officers entered the room and took Billwig with him. Percy turned towards Zora with a smile on her face.

“This was excellent work, Zora. Your apprehension of this criminal has helped us immensely. Can we count on your further assistance in these matters?” Percy extended her hand to Zora, expecting a handshake, but Zora hesitated, smiling awkwardly.

_What am I supposed to do here? I can’t just ally myself with the cops. This is exactly what I’ve been trying to avoid. But I guess I can’t run from it all the time… Or can I?_

“You know Perce, I gotta go. Uh, see you!” Zora shot away through the door, accelerating herself to an inhuman speed and ran through then entry doors, leaving a small army of confused policemen behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Alex, more Zora. Zora's moral conflict between Bliss Ocean and Percy is taking more form here, and will be closer examined in the next chapter.  
> (Sorry for not updating. I can't promise anything regarding the rate of new chapters)


End file.
